


thank u, next

by doughnutwhore



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ex-Girlfriends, F/F, FUCK IT WHY WON'T THEY JUST MAKE SUPERCORP CANON, It makes so much sense, LENA DESERVES ALL THE WOMEN, SUPERCORP WINS, i'm always going to love supercorp honestly, karamel isn't canon because YUCK, lames isn't canon because yuck, no powers, they own my heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 11:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16639574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doughnutwhore/pseuds/doughnutwhore
Summary: lena has had a series of relationships. these are the stories of how they began and how they ended.alternatively: the au inspired by ariana grande that no one asked for





	thank u, next

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so in love with this story y'all have no idea. i had so much fun writing it. anyway, we're going to call lena's exes "lena's angels", okay? okay. great. leave a comment. tell me what you think.

_Veronica Sinclair_

Veronica was more a demon than an angel, but she was Lena’s first real girlfriend.

They were fifteen when they first met. Lena was new to boarding school and Veronica had been her designated keeper, tasked to show her around campus, help her find her classes, and generally make her feel at home.

Veronica did all of those because she was very good at pretending to be innocent. She didn’t pretend when she was alone with Lena though. She didn’t feel the need to. Veronica supposed that it was because Lena was fun – even if she was a bit of a brat sometimes.

Two weeks was all it took for both of their walls to crumble down. They became as thick as thieves then. Veronica even showed Lena her secret box – the one that she hid on a hole in the wall behind the bookshelf in her room.

The box had packs of cigarettes, decks of playing cards, and mini bottles of liquor – all props for Veronica’s secret gambling pool.

“And you’ve never gotten in trouble before?” Lena had asked.

“Never,” Veronica replied with mischief glimmering in her eyes.

It was a month after when Veronica taught Lena how to drink. She also taught Lena how to take a drag. She taught Lena how to gamble. She taught Lena how to kiss. And then she taught Lena how to do more than that.

Their days were filled with homework and projects and secret kisses under the shades of the trees behind the school building. At night they would sneak out of their dormitories to go swimming in the lake. Sometimes they would have sex in a broom closet. It was rebellious and downright scandalous, but Lena didn’t care. Her grades remained stellar and they were always very discreet, so she didn’t have anything to worry about. 

Lena fell in love with Veronica, and Veronica had meant it when she said that she felt the same way. They were inseparable – until Veronica was expelled.

The nuns had found her secret box during a general clean-up of the dormitories, but Veronica knew that someone had ratted her out. Apparently, it was one of the girls who had always despised Veronica, although Veronica never knew why.  

Their relationship ended the moment that Veronica was fetched by their family butler. She never communicated with Lena after that. Lena waited, of course, but nothing ever came and that was that.

(Thank you, next.)

 

_Imra Ardeen_

Imra was more a goddess than an angel. Whatever she was, she was otherworldly, and she was Lena’s second girlfriend.

They met during their second year in college when Imra’s name appeared beside Lena’s on the partners’ list for a robotics project.

Without a number or an e-mail address below Imra’s name, Lena resorted to looking for her partner online. She found her almost immediately on Facebook, her stomach dropping to her feet when she saw the other girl’s profile picture. To say that Imra was beautiful was an understatement. She was beyond gorgeous, and Lena knew that it was going to be a problem.

“Hi. I’m Lena Luthor, your partner for Shaw’s robotics project,” Lena typed in on the message box. “I was wondering if we could meet up tonight to discuss about it.”

The reply was instantaneous. “Hi Lena. Sure. Let’s meet up at the campus café. 6-ish?”

“Great.”

Lena almost spilled her cappuccino when Imra entered the coffee shop. She was wearing an MIT hoodie so large that it covered all of her jean shorts. It made her look like she wasn’t wearing any bottoms, exposing her long legs that made Lena want to slap herself to look away.

The rest was history as they say.

They fell madly in love whilst working on their project as both were impressed with one another’s intelligence and charm. Some nights they even left their prototype on Lena’s work desk, preferring to cuddle with one another on the couch or to have sex on Lena’s rickety bed.

At the end of the term, they received the highest grade for their work.

Months rolled in and Lena and Imra remained indivisible. They went to each other’s quiz bees and presentations and they helped each other with homework. Imra became the support that Lena needed, the calm that she required as Lillian’s pressure grew more and more overwhelming.

It was the best thing that happened to Lena in a while – until it had to end a year and nine months later.

Imra had received a call from her father then and by the tone of how it went, Lena knew that it was bad news.

Apparently, Imra’s father had arranged for her to be married to someone she never met. They were traditional, her family, and the marriage was supposed to cement an alliance with one of their family’s business partners.

They spent the whole night in each other’s arms, refusing to let go. It was especially hard, but family was family and Lena understood completely what Imra meant when she said that she couldn’t disappoint her father – even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.

Life was unfair, but that was that.

(Thank you, next.)

 

_Sara Lance_

Sara was never meant to be more than a fling, but her killer charm and dangerous abs made her Lena’s third girlfriend.

They met the summer after Lena’s college graduation. She was in Star City for an internship under the R&D department in the city’s LutherCorp headquarters. She had a tough first week. Her schedule was always jampacked, leaving her with no room to breathe – but that was until she bumped into Sara in a coffee shop she had never been to.

Lena had never gotten used to being on the receiving end of a onceover, so it was highly understandable that she squirmed when Sara gave her one, especially with that lecherous look on her face. Lena found it rude that the woman was openly appraising her, but the charming smile that Sara offered afterwards made Lena forgive her anyway.

Sara asked for her number. Lena said no. Sara kept asking, and Lena kept saying no. Eventually Sara found out who she was, and then there was no stopping her from bringing Lena takeout at the office a few days later.

“You wouldn’t let me take you to lunch so I brought lunch to you,” Sara said with a wink.

It flattered Lena to know that Sara was persistent enough to look for her, and with a little push from Lana Lang, a fellow intern, Lena gave Sara her cellphone number.

They texted back and forth. Sometimes Sara even called. Lena grew to like her. She was funny and kind and kept insisting that she liked bringing Lena food. It went on for about two weeks before Lena finally agreed to going out on a date with her.

They had sex in Sara’s apartment after that. Lena’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when Sara removed her t-shirt, revealing her well-toned biceps and marbled abs. The sight made Lena thirsty enough to last more than a few rounds.

They continued going out on dates. Sara continued bringing lunch and on days when the gym didn’t need her so much, she would swing by the office to give Lena flowers.

It was what Lena needed to take the edge off, to alleviate the stress that was burdening her. Sara became her breather, and Lena became Sara’s.

It was good. It was fun. And both women enjoyed it while it lasted.

Eventually they had to part ways. Lena had to go back to Boston for her masters, and Sara had just gotten promoted at the gym. They both knew that they were going to be busy – that they weren’t going to have the time to continue what they started. So, they broke it off mutually, deciding that remaining friends was the best course of action.

They both agreed on it – with both women silently thanking god that they hadn’t fallen in too deep for it to hurt.

And that was that.

(Thank you, next.)

 

_Helena Bertinelli_

Helena was a huntress, and Lena had fallen straight into her trap. She was the kind of girl that everybody fell in love with, and yet she had chosen to be Lena’s fourth girlfriend.

They met at the Luthor Annual Christmas Gala. Lena was almost finished with her post graduate studies and couldn’t afford to be distracted. Her eyes had other plans though, because they strayed the moment that Helena walked into the hall in a dress so tight that it looked like second skin. It was green and nude and deliciously hugging all of the right curves on the other woman’s body. It made Lena gulp.

And then of course Helena had to come up to her with those brilliant green eyes that shone as she talked about business ideas and technological innovations that made Lena’s stomach coil. Smart and sexy were a lethal combination. It knocked the wind right off of Lena’s lungs.

They talked all night, exchanging ideas and proposals and eventually, numbers.

Soon they were going out to watch movies, eating dinners, and then eating out each other. They would spend nights together when Helena was in town, when Helena would fly all the way to Boston from Gotham City to see her. It was simple with Helena. She knew the pressure of belonging to a business-oriented family. She knew the stress. She knew the schedule, so she, of course, was very understanding when Lena would suddenly disappear to finish a paper or to work on a project. She didn’t ask for Lena’s time, merely accepting the time that Lena could give because of everything on her plate.

Lena supposed that it was because Helena was busy too. She had her own family company to attend to which meant that Helena wasn’t around most of the time anyway – thank god for Skype. Helena understood, and Lena was extremely grateful for that.

Soon enough Lena graduated with honors, and Helena showed her just how proud she is of her (it may have included a black strap-on and a horse’s whip).

They were in love, and they were contented – until Helena suddenly wasn’t.

She started asking for more time, more attention – just more, saying that Lena was done with school and that perhaps Lena could take a few months off to spend time with her before taking on her responsibilities at LuthorCorp.

“Stay here for a while, and then you can spend the rest of your life in Metropolis if you want to,” Helena had pleaded.

Lena wanted it too, of course, but Lex needed her, and Lillian wasn’t going to let her off the leash.

It started an argument over the phone, and then the argument turned into a full-blown fight. Lena didn’t understand. Helena used to understand. They were okay a week before that. Lena didn’t know what went wrong – and then the pictures leaked on the internet: Helena in a bar with a man Lena didn’t know. The picture was grainy at best, but Lena knew that it was Helena. It was taken a few nights before, right after the fight that they had.

Lena broke down in her apartment that night. She left a message telling Helena that she saw the tabloids and that no explanation was necessary. She apologized for not giving her the time that she needed, for being so busy that she couldn’t spare a minute for a girlfriend whom she thought understood her situation. She pressed send and never looked back.

Helena left her almost sixty messages after that. She called. She texted. She e-mailed. But Lena didn’t want her apology.

She drank herself to sleep, and although Helena flew in to Metropolis the following day to beg for her forgiveness, Lena knew that she couldn’t let her back in.

And that was that.

(Thank you, next.)

 

_Samantha Arias_

Samantha was an angel. She really was. She broke down all of Lena’s walls and made her trust again. She was Lena’s fifth girlfriend, and Lena found herself wishing that she was her last.

They met in a meeting during Lena’s first project at LuthorCorp. She had been working in the company for months now, but this was the very first merger that Lex let her in on. She was already in the conference room seated on Lex’s right when the executives of the company they were buying entered the office. They were old men whose eyes immediately landed on her as they took their seats. Some ogled. Some sneered. And then there was one who offered a genuine smile.

Lena found out that her name was Samantha Arias – an assistant vice president for the finance department. She was the sole woman in the conference room apart from her. That immediately earned her Lena’s respect. Lena knew that she was good because she wouldn’t be in the same room with all of these self-absorbed men (her brother included) if she wasn’t.

The meeting ended swiftly with promises of an easy and smooth transition. Lex gave Lena the job of finding out which execs to keep, and which to throw out. She spent the whole night poring over documents – both personal and work-related. She wanted to know which people to keep and which people to lose.

Needless to say, Lena found Sam’s the most impressive. Sure, there were others that were notable too, but Samantha worked her way from the bottom up despite graduating with Latin awards in college and graduate school. She knew the company’s finances from its foundation to its rooftop, and that was the kind of employee that Lena knew that they needed.

She met with her personally to give her congratulations, but also because she wanted to see the woman up close. Her 2x2 on the file didn’t do her any justice. Samantha was tall and fit and radiant. She was kind and she was respectful, and she was charming and funny. She spoke to Lena with a courtesy regarded for a superior, but also with an openness that left room for friendship.

It was a slow burn kind of romance.

They were colleagues and then they were friends. They had casual lunches, and then casual dinners. They grew comfortable around each other over the weeks and then the months. They talked to each other about the difficulties of their respective jobs, and Sam confided in her about the troubles of being a single mom. There was a shimmer in her eyes when she saw that Lena held no judgment when she told her how old Ruby really was.

Lena admired her. Sam deserved it. She deserved so many good things that Lena wanted to give her. Sam was intelligent and confident and oh so brilliant at what she does. More than that, Sam was a very good mother. Lena didn’t mind the absences or the amount of tardiness on Sam’s record. She had them all excused because they were Ruby related. And it wasn’t as if Lena didn’t know that Sam would work until three in the morning to catch up on the work that she had missed. She worked as hard as Lena – maybe even harder.

Lena had fallen in love with her not long after. It was hard not to. Samantha was the kind of woman that anybody would be lucky to have. Truly. But Lena didn’t act upon it. She was Sam’s boss, and she didn’t want to do something that would compromise both of their careers.

Lex pushed her though. He knew. He could see it in her eyes, and he had always been very good at reading Lena – no matter how apathetic Lena’s face could sometimes be.

“You’re in love with her, Lena.”

“But she works for us. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Lena, you said so yourself. Sam is here because of her own merits.”

“I just don’t want to put her in a compromising position, Lex. She has a daughter to worry about.”

“Then don’t make it public. Keep it between the two of you if she agrees.”

Sam agreed of course, because she didn’t want to compromise their positions in the company as well. More than that she didn’t want Lena’s integrity to be insulted. So, they kept it to themselves – only letting Lex and Ruby in on it because they were the most important people in their lives.

They were so in love – so intensely in love that Lena bloomed like the rarest flower in spring. It was the happiest she had ever been in a while, and Lena saw that Sam was happy with her too.

They were professionals at work, only giving in to their desires when the doors were locked or when the other employees had gone home after work hours. Jess found out though. She was a smart secretary and she had the tendency to stay at the office until Lena would leave – also “you tend to be noisy Miss Luthor”.

“Oh my god has anyone else heard?”

“No, ma’am. The floor had been thankfully empty that afternoon. After that I had a team sound proof your office.”

“…and when did you do that?”

“Right after you left for work, ma’am.”

She gave Jess a bonus for that.

Months turned into a year, and Lena and Sam remained inseparable. Lena attended Ruby’s soccer games. She helped her with her science projects. She even helped Sam set up an account for Ruby’s college fund.

“You didn’t have to do that, Lena.”

“I love Ruby too, Sam.”

They made love on Lena’s office couch that morning, right before Lena’s first meeting.

They were so in love that it made Lena forget about Veronica’s disappearance, about Imra’s family complications, about Sara and their timing, and Helena and her betrayal. All of her previous relationships faded into the background whenever Sam kissed her, held her, touched her.

They made it work despite all odds. They found the time despite their schedule. They gave it their best. They gave it their all. And that was why it hurt so much when Lena had to leave for National City.

Lex had gone mad. He had thrusted the company upon her hands when he suddenly left to be with his girlfriend, Mercy Graves, who was also his secretary. Lena didn’t understand why Lex had to leave. He could have continued on with the company. It didn’t matter that Mercy was his assistant. Lex was a bachelor. Mercy was single. Love was inevitable in the work place.

“You’re just saying that to justify our relationship Lena,” Sam whispered when Lena had said that to her. “But you know that ethically…”

“Don’t say that,” Lena cried.

“Your brother left the company, Lena. It’s in your hands now. And it can’t afford another publicity like that.”

“Like what? Like falling in love with a colleague?”

“You’re my superior, Lena,” Sam sighed. She was holding back her tears and Lena knew it. God, she wished that Sam would cry, that Sam would tell her ‘against all odds’, that Sam would hold on to her, would keep her – but Sam was responsible and smart, and Sam would never do anything to compromise Lena’s image.

“We have to end this.”

“No, please, Sam. Please.”

Sam cupped her cheek. She was crying now too. That was how Lena knew it hurt her as much it was hurting her.

“I love you so much, Lena. I always will, but you’re the company’s only hope now, and I don’t want to be the one to drag you down. The spotlight should shine on you because you saved your company, and not because you’re fucking your vice president.”

“I’m not just fucking you, Sam.”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

It hurt so much when Lena had to leave Sam’s apartment, knowing that it was probably the last time that she would ever step foot in it. It hurt even worse when she returned the spare key that Sam had given her – a symbol of their love, of their trust, of their plans to maybe someday own a place that was both theirs.

It hurt like it never hurt before. Lena was inconsolable, and the worst part was that she couldn’t show it. No one knew about them but Lex, and Lex was nowhere to be found. Jess was the only other person, but Lena couldn’t drag Jess along. Lena had to put on a façade for the press. Lena had to put on a mask for her employees, for her investors, for her partners. She had to pretend that she was put together to be able to put the company back together – but it was so difficult when she was falling apart. Sam couldn’t even help her ease the weight on her shoulders brought about by her brother’s mess. No, being close to Sam would only bring her back to her, and Sam didn’t want (even though she did want it).

She lost a lot of weight during the whole ordeal. She didn’t feel hungry, so she didn’t feel the need to eat, and she was always tired. She couldn’t sleep though, because sleeping would only bring dreams of Sam’s face and Ruby laughing in the park as she kicked a soccer ball around. So, Lena stayed up almost every night, working herself to death.

Jess helped her through all of it though, despite Lena’s wishes to let her stay out of it. She took it upon herself to remind Lena to eat and to sleep, and she told Lena that it was okay to take a break. To cry.

Sam continued keeping her distance even though months had passed, and the company started getting back to its feet. She wouldn’t risk it, Lena understood that. Still, she missed Sam and Ruby and the life that they had made for almost three years. It was the best almost three years of her life, but it was beginning to weigh her down.

She wouldn’t let go of Sam because the company needed her – no matter how many times Sam tried to render her resignation. And having Sam around, remembering all of the things that they used to do only brought Lena to the most depressing of moods. So, Lena decided to leave. The company was doing well despite the wreckage that Lex had left behind, but Lena knew that opening a new headquarters in a different city would be the best course of action – for the company and for herself. So, she set things in motion.

It didn’t take long for construction to finish in National City. Lena left the company to Lana, making her CFO. She wasn’t her first choice, but Lena knew that her first would say no. Everything was in order when it was finally time for her to leave, and then she left without saying goodbye.

And that was that.

(Thank you, next.)

 

_Kara Danvers_

Kara Danvers was something else. Lena couldn’t describe it. All she knew was that she was cold and cruel and closed off when she had left Metropolis all those months ago, and Kara… She made her feel again. That was what made her Lena’s sixth girlfriend.

They met when Kara arrived in her office with Clark Kent. Lena knew him – he used to be Lex’s friend until Clark wrote a very honest, very scathing report about how Lex deserted his own company. She didn’t know the woman in the pastel sweater though. She was cute, Lena could admit that, and she was adorable when she rambled, but there was also something very steely about her, something powerful and strong and confident. Lena meant it when she said that she thought that Kara was a reporter, and when she eventually became one, Lena knew that Kara fitted the job. 

Soon enough Kara became the only reporter that she trusted. Kara had a way with words. She was honest, and she was passionate about the issues that she wrote, but she was also objective and proficient. She gave Lena good press, but more than that she changed Lena’s perspective regarding different social matters including race and class. It made her become a more sensitive businesswoman. It made her want to do better. It made her remember that changing LuthorCorp to L-Corp wasn’t just to stray the company away from Lex’s mess, but also to make it a force for good.

Kara’s brightness was beginning to grow on her.

Their constant communication made Lena give her an open-door access. It wasn’t something that she was used to doing, but she needed a friend in National City and Kara seemed like the best candidate. It all began with a trip down memory lane though – as Kara was searching for a woman named Roulette for a story she was following up on.

Roulette, of course, was Veronica Sinclair – her first girlfriend. The woman apparently still held underground gambles. When they were younger it was poker, now it had evolved into a fight club. She knew about it, of course. Veronica found her the moment that she stepped into the jungle that was National City, and she had been giving her invites ever since – along with temptations to rekindle what they had before. Lena always declined. She neither had the time to watch two people fight each other nor the time to revisit a flame that had died out years ago.

She merely helped Kara with her story, provided her with a location and then moved on to the next paper on her work desk.

Months rolled in and things began to brighten. Stocks were high, money rolled in, and talks of Lex and his disappearance fizzled out in the background.

Kara became more than just a reporter to her then. She was actually a genuine friend now, and Lena was happy that Kara was there when her mother had showed up. Lillian had been mum about Lex’s disappearance – she always favored him over Lena but having her show up to congratulate her daughter on her success made Lena ‘s heart soar. Lena guessed that Lex’s light just had to dim for Lillian to see how golden she was too.

Slowly, Kara became a more permanent fixture in Lena’s life. They became best friends. Everywhere Lena went, she invited Kara along – even to Jack’s presentation.

Jack wasn’t really an ex. He was more of a safety net as he was the only one who Lillian approved of apart from Imra and Helena. They were close friends and Lena had tried to be what Lillian wanted her to be for Jack, but she just couldn’t do it. Men just weren’t for her, she explained to her mother who surprisingly wasn’t intolerant when it came to her sexuality.

“Well you never were traditional,” Lillian had said. “And women really are the more superior gender.”

Kara laughed when Lena had shared that story with her, and as Kara’s eyes crinkled with mirth and her voice reverberated in her office, Lena knew that she was beginning to fall in love. It was easy to – and that was exactly why she had to stop herself. Falling in love with the others had been easy too and look where that had gotten her.

 So, she steeled herself and shoved her feelings down her throat. She wasn’t going to ruin her friendship with Kara with her unnecessary feelings. Feelings that apparently were stronger than she thought – the more that she repressed them the more that they grew fierce. Feelings that didn’t diminish even when Imra reappeared.

Kara had invited her for lunch on a Sunday. A distant relative was arriving from Daxam City and she wanted Lena to meet him. Her cousin was Mike, who happened to be Imra’s husband – the same man that she had to marry all those years ago, the person that she had to leave Lena for.

Lena almost dropped her wine glass when Imra entered Kara’s apartment.

“You know each other?” Mike had asked.

“Um, yeah, she was a friend in college,” Imra said, leaving out the part that they were a couple. Lena was grateful for it. They didn’t need the drama.

“Oh! That’s great. It must be nice for you guys to see each other again,” Kara commented.

It was indeed nice for them to see each other. Lena had missed her in a way. She had always stayed fond of Imra and it wasn’t like they broke up because they weren’t in love anymore. Still, so much time had passed them by and both women knew that that part of their lives had ended. There was no going back. The only thing that they could do and did do was exchange each other’s numbers with promises to keep in touch.

Lena was glad that Imra married Kara’s cousin. He seemed like a good man, and he has the same adorable face that Kara has. Lena groaned at the thought. All of her mind’s ramblings seemed to always circle back to Kara these days.

No, she reminded herself. She wasn’t going to destroy their friendship. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to get hurt again. But stopping herself was beginning to be troublesome. Kara was nice and soft and kind. She was compassionate and empathetic, and she always seemed to know the words to say – the words that Lena needed to hear even if they weren’t what she wanted to hear. And Kara was excruciatingly beautiful. She was the very personification of the sun and she had thawed the ice that had caged Lena’s heart.

Lena didn’t know how long she could keep up, how long she could pretend that Kara’s smiles didn’t make her breath hitch, that Kara’s laugh didn’t make her heartbeat quicken, or that Kara’s impossible appetite didn’t want to make her buy a whole chain of fast food restaurants.

She wasn’t going to last very long. Lena was very much aware of that.

Kara made her want to do so many things. She made her want to be better. She made her want to be herself. She made her want to save the world just like Kara had saved hers – which is exactly why she bought CatCo when Kara had mentioned that Morgan Edge was eyeing it.

Morgan was obviously going to use the media company for nothing that would benefit the world but himself, and so she bought it – to save the world and to save Kara’s job.

Yes, she told herself, that buying CatCo was a smart move, good for business, but she also knew that a larger part of that decision was because she didn’t want Kara to work under a lewd man who only wanted to profit himself. Sure, Lena knew nothing about running a media company, but she was going to learn to.

She was going to need someone to run L-Corp first though.

The compilation of the resumes of potential CFOs was already on top of her desk when she arrived. It was a collection of five rather thick manila folders all of which were ready to be perused.

Lena started with the thinnest amongst the batch and then worked her way to the thickest. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that the last folder belonged to none other than Samantha Arias. She should have known – Sam had always been one of the most valuable employees in the company. She should have expected it really, but she hadn’t and now seeing a more recent 2x2 of the woman had knocked the wind off of Lena’s lungs.

She hadn’t seen her in more than a year – nearing two years actually. She hadn’t spoken to her since she left, so seeing her now even just in a photograph felt like a scar being ripped open. She stood up from her desk to pour herself a drink.

Lena returned to her desk and began poring over Sam’s profile – not that she needed to. She knew all of Sam’s achievements by heart. She could recite them if someone would ask her to. Sam was the obvious choice.

“Jess? I need you to work with HR to create a promotion offer for Miss Arias. Make sure it includes a company car, housing stipend, and a list of opportunities for her daughter. Anything to raise the chances of Miss Arias agreeing to work with us here in National City.”

“Yes, of course, Miss Luthor,” Jess responded without a blink despite being one of the people who knew exactly how deep Lena and Sam’s history ran.

Lena received a call from Sam three days after. It was late in the afternoon which meant that it was probably early morning in Metropolis.

“Miss Luthor. It’s Samantha Arias,” the voice on the other line said. Lena’s heart ached at the sound. She missed it more than she thought she did.

“Sam, it’s still Lena,” she replied, thankful that her voice didn’t crack even though her heart was beginning to. She was always going to love Sam.

“Right, Lena. I-um, well I received your promotion offer two nights ago, and I thought it over, discussed it with Ruby even,”

The mention of Ruby’s name ripped another scar in her heart. She missed her too.

“And?” Lena asked with bated breath. She would understand if Sam said no. She –

“I accept.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. It was a good offer,” Sam said, and Lena remained silent knowing that the other woman had something more to say. “And Ruby wanted to see you.”

Her breath hitched and suddenly everything hurt again, “I want to see her too.”

The line was silent until Lena heard Sam clearing her throat. Her voice was back to its professional tone. “Then we’ll see you next week.”

“Right, of course.”

Lena waited for her with such anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see Sam again, to see Ruby again. To have Ruby run to her and collide their bodies in their ferocious embrace. She missed it so much.

“You look excited,” Kara told her once when they were having lunch and Lena’s thoughts had drifted off to Sam again. It made Lena guilty although she didn’t know why.

“Sam is arriving tomorrow.”

“Oh,” was the only reply. Lena saw something flash across Kara’s face. Was it hurt? Was it jealousy? She didn’t know. She didn’t want to assume.

Kara cleared her throat. “So, Sam, your ex, is coming to National City?”

“Yes. She’s taking over L-Corp while I dedicate my time to CatCo.”

Kara’s face distorted and Lena thought that she heard Kara mumble, “You shouldn’t have bought CatCo then.”

Lena thought nothing of it. She must have just imagined it, although she couldn’t really tell why she would imagine Kara getting jealous over Sam.

Sam arrived the following day, and Lena had to stop herself from picking her up. Sam was going straight to L-Corp anyway, and she was going to bring Ruby along. Lena could wait for a few more hours.

The call from Jess telling her that Sam and Ruby had arrived made her abandon all work at CatCo much to Kara’s chagrin. She had her driver pick her up and drive her to Cordova. She was buzzing with anticipation and she knew it.

Seeing Sam again felt like nothing had changed even though everything already had. She tried to stop herself, but Sam’s arms were already open, and she still smiled like she used to. Lena wanted to cry.

A week passed by, and Sam settled in to her new job just as Lena had settled in to running CatCo. Lena’s days had become a mixture of Kara and Sam, and as more days rolled in Lena became confused as to who was making her heart do somersaults in her chest.

Lena knew that Sam would always have a hold on her heart but her feelings for Kara only grew stronger by the day. She was completely and utterly muddled, and only by some ill-twisted fate did it come to her.

It was a few months after when Ruby called her one night to tell her that there was something wrong with her mother. Lena rushed to their house, of course. And then she got there, and everything was all wrong. Sam was on the floor, deathly pale. Ruby was beside her, bawling because she didn’t understand what was happening to her mom.

The ambulance arrived not long after and Sam was brought to the nearest hospital.

Leukemia, the doctor said without a hint of hesitation. Stage two.

Lena felt like the whole world was crashing upon her again. Like the whole world was ganging up on her, taking away the people that she loved.

Sam cried throughout the night, begging for Lena to help.

“Please, Lena. For Ruby. She needs me.”

The tears streaming down her face tore open Lena skin and shook her bones. Her heart felt like it was going to crush under the weight of the sight of Sam breaking down in front of her.

“I’m going to help you. I’m not leaving you this time. I promise.”

So, Lena worked and worked and all the while she poured her time and effort for Sam, Kara was pouring all of hers for Lena. She brought her food. She brought her clothes. She brought her coffee. Lena wouldn’t leave her lab, so Kara could only make sure that Lena had all that she needed.

It made Lena feel inexplicably guilty. There she was giving everything that she had to Sam, and yet Kara was still giving all that she could to Lena. She didn’t understand. She didn’t know why Kara was doing it. So, she asked. She had to. She had to know what was going on.

“I’m in love with you, Lena. I have been for the longest time, but I didn’t know how to tell you. And you, well, you seemed like you were stopping yourself from falling in love with me. And then Sam came back into your life and I could tell that you were still in love with her and that hurt me, but I couldn’t not love you.”

It was so unconditional, so pure, so selfless that Lena broke down in front of her right then and there. Kara held her close. She was warm and strong and solid and as her heart broke, it healed too. And then she knew. She had always known, hadn’t she?

Kara had been there all this time. All these years. When she was at her worst. While she was at her worst, cold and cruel and closed-off. While she was rebuilding herself. When she had fixed herself. Kara had loved her all that time. She was just waiting for Lena to open herself up because Kara could tell that Lena was stopping herself from falling in love too. But maybe Lena had fallen in love with her long before that and she just didn’t know.  

“Go save Sam, Lena. We can talk about it after.”

And save Sam she did. Months had gone by and the cancer seemed to have cleared out. It was a miracle.

“No, it was you,” Sam told her. “And now we can talk about what’s been bothering you for months now.”

Lena didn’t have to lie. Sam already knew. She sighed, “Lena. Look, I love you. I always will. And yes, when I came here, I thought that maybe you and I could continue what we had. We never really fell out of love, did we?”

“No…”

“And we never will. You’re my greatest love, as clichéd as that sounds. And yes, I still want you. I want you so much Lena. But you look at Kara like you used to look at me. And even though you still look at me with a light in your eyes, it isn’t the same anymore. I think that maybe you only think that you’re still in love with me but that’s only because you’re always going to love me, what we had and that familiarity. We’re always going to have a hold in each other’s hearts, Lena, but things are different now. You’re in love with Kara and you know that.”

Lena did. She did. Maybe she had always known. She just stopped herself because she was scared. And then when Sam came back, she thought that maybe she could just fix something from the past than open her heart to someone new and risk her heart getting broken again.

She was scared because all of her past relationships ended up hurting her, ended up scarring her. And she knew, god she knew that if she opened her heart to Kara then she needed to be ready for the grief at the end of it.

“Why do you tell yourself that you’re going to get hurt?” Sam asked.

“Because I always do in the end. Look at what happened to us.”

“It’s different now, Lena.”

“How do you know? How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re different, and Kara is different, and the situation is different. Kara is kind and generous and I can tell that she isn’t like me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that she wouldn’t give up on you.”

“Sam, you didn’t – you didn’t give up on me.”

“No – Lena, listen. I did. I gave up. I was scared of what would happen to us if word got out of our relationship. I was scared of what it would do the company. I was scared of what it would do to your integrity and your reputation, and I know that letting you go was right Lena. It was right for the both of us. I mean, look at you now. You’ve flourished so much. But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t scared, and it cost me you. So, I’m telling you now. Don’t be scared of opening your heart to Kara. Don’t be scared of taking the risk. And please, don’t let her go whatever happens. You deserve to be happy Lena.”

The tears had escaped before she could stop them, but Lena didn’t care. It was Sam in front of her, Sam telling her to follow her heart that she could hear clearly now was screaming Kara’s name.

“Thank you, Sam,” Lena said, kissing Sam’s forehead before she dashed out of the door in search of Kara.

It was like a scene from a movie, the way that Lena rushed to her car and had her driver take her to Kara’s apartment.

She ran like the wind carried her, and then when Kara opened her front door, Lena wasted no time in colliding their bodies together, kissing her with all of the pent-up passion inside of her heart for the past two years. Kara kissed her back with the same ferocity, and their bodies melded together right there under Kara’s doorframe until a loud voice cleared their throat to separate them. It was Alex.

“Now that the two of you have figured your shit out, can we please go back to Monopoly?”

Things fell into place after that. Sam had a heart to heart with Kara, at Sam’s insistence. Lena didn’t know what they talked about. Kara wouldn’t tell her. All she said was that she and Sam were at a good place, and Lena took that as a sign to stop asking. And then Sam left to transfer to a different city. She still held the title of CFO in the branch that she was moving to, but for now she was still on medical leave. Ruby was very understanding of the situation and was very open to having both Lena and Kara in her life as her aunts because “it’s so boring with just me and mom”, she had said.

Lena had gone back to managing L-Corp, delegating CatCo to James. She trusted him, but she still came to the office to check on some of the things herself.

Kara and Lena finally found their footing. They found a balance in their relationship, and it was good. It was perfect. Lena was no longer afraid of the public finding out about her love life – even if Kara was technically still her employee. Kara’s articles spoke for herself. She was at CatCo because she was brilliant. And besides, she had worked at CatCo long before Lena even bought the company. Of course, tabloids about Lena buying the media conglomerate because of Kara started surfacing on the internet as soon as pictures of them had spread, but Lena and Kara weren’t fazed by them, and soon enough the issue died down like yesterday’s news.

Lena was happy, and Kara was happy too.

Sure, there were bumps along the road, but Lena never gave up, and Kara kept holding on too. They worked on it, fixed their problems, and stayed by each other’s side.

It was the love that Lena never thought she would find for herself. It was the love that she wanted, the love that she longed for, prayed for even.

It was the love that stayed.

And so, four years after, Kara stopped becoming Lena’s sixth girlfriend, and became Lena’s first wife.

“First wife?” Kara looked at her incredulously as Lena cut out the word “first” from a magazine to put on their scrapbook.

Lena shrugged. “Yeah, I’m just preparing for the future is all.”

Kara lightly shoved her then before grabbing for the cut out and throwing it away. She had a serious expression on her face, but Lena could see the mirth in her eyes when she said, “I’m the only wife you’re ever going to have Lena Luthor-Danvers.”

Lena Luthor-Danvers. The name made Lena sigh. After everything, here she was. Happy. In love. Married. It was all worth it in the end.

Her exes had taught her love. Her exes had taught her patience. And her exes had taught her pain. She was grateful for all of them, no matter what had happened, no matter how their relationships had ended. She would gladly go through all of the heartache if it meant ending up where she was now.

Happy. In love. Married.

She smiled, putting her scrapbook away and leaning in to kiss Kara’s lips with all of the love in her heart. “Of course, you are.”

It was all worth it in the end.

(Thank you. The end.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
